


Pedestals

by Alley_Walk (AlleyWalk_writes)



Series: DGM + BNHA AUs [1]
Category: D.Gray-man, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Allen Walker Is A Pro Hero, Allen Walker Is Himura Haruka, Allen Walker is a Noah, Allen will not be in any sexual relationships in this, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Dabi is a Todoroki, F/F, Flashbacks, Gen, Genderfluid Allen Walker, Immortal Allen Walker, Japanese people are of mixed race, Jirou is a badass lesbian and does what she wants, Kitten Dragon Timcanpy, M/M, Multi, No beta we die like illiterates, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Queerplatonic might be on the table tho, Sorcerer Allen Walker, The kids are pros, Trans Eri, Trans Jirou Kyouka, Trans Midoriya Izuku, Transphobia, bc canon, bc he's old as fuck, everyone be gay af, he knows some stuff but he doesn't know Everything, ik it's overdone but roll with it please, not All Knowing Allen Walker, read the summary you'll understand what I mean, sorry for the misleading summary, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22240975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyWalk_writes/pseuds/Alley_Walk
Summary: In the late 19th century, the population of Japan was decimated by a mysterious villain, the Millennium Earl, overrun by creatures of nightmare. Then, lead by the famous hero Allen Walker, the Exorcists of the Black Order used their Innocence, the very first quirks to come into existence, to defeat the monsters and the villain once and for all. They repopulated Japan with anyone who wanted to live there, people from all over the world taking on the identity and culture of Japan and uniting into one nation. And then the Exorcists, along with Allen Walker, mysteriously disappeared, taking their Innocence with them.It was all so cool! Little Izuku thought to himself. If only he had an Innocence..."So you work here too?"Midoriya brightens. "Yeah! It's really great actually, everyone's really nice. Villain attacks can get a little overwhelming sometimes, especially if there's multiple ones across the city. With All Might gone..." His tone turns somber, an odd look flickering across his face.It makes Allen think of mountains that can’t be climbed, of pedestals so tall that you can’t even see who’s standing on top of them anymore.
Relationships: Allen Walker & Midoriya Izuku, Dabi & Todoroki Shouto, Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo/Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Todoroki Shouto & Allen Walker
Series: DGM + BNHA AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601125
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	1. the cold

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited about this one y'all!
> 
> Yes, yes, I know that Immortal!Allen stories are a bit overdone, but I'm trying not to follow the regular tropes by 1. not making him be All Knowing/know every single thing about the characters. Even if he is immortal it's not like he'd go snooping into every single person's lives like that. *Whispers* Social media is your friend, Allen.
> 
> And, 2. Not make him act all All Knowing or give him too much of an Air Of Mystery that I find prevalent in most fics like this. His past might seem mysterious, but that doesn't mean _he_ has to seem all mysterious, in fact if he was IC he would (and will) lie and make up a cover story for his background. 
> 
> Alright, on with the chap! Warning for PTSD and flashbacks, but that's pretty much it.

The former doctor known as Himura Haruka walks through the streets of the flower town of Kyoto, Japan, several girls that he knows from different _okiyas_ greeting him as he trods down the street, his kimono seeming to weigh down his tired body, weary from singing and dancing all day at the _ryotei_. Haruka used to have many misconceptions about Geisha like all people not native to Japan, thinking them prostitutes. But Geishas are entertainers above all else, and Haruka has loved entertaining people from the first time his father taught him how to clown around.

The reason the former doctor was there was simple. Haruka had been meeting with some old family friends, daughters of women who had known his old alias, Asuka. Haruka had worn many masks and aliases in his life, and he had to say that his current one most closely mirrored his very first.

Allen Walker. 

Exiting the flower town, Haruka enters an alleyway and within one step and the next is within the Ark, standing in the streets and looking around with a certain melancholy. Allen suddenly can’t stand the stifling kimono, the form he had taken for a taste of the past. Drawing upon the energy within him his body shifts and changes, forming itself from female to male as easily as breathing, clothes molding themselves onto his body. 

Allen stands with his familiar long white hair up in a ribbon, with black pants and a belt with a silver rose cross on it and a long sleeved shirt that was black, gold and silver, the colors like large shattered pieces of glass on the front of the shirt. On his feet are dark grey steel toed combat boots with black treads, the symbol of the rose cross in white on the front and backs. Wrapped snug around his form is his familiar white cloak, feathery tendrils tickling his throat and his silver and gold half mask resting against his chest, the edge of the cloak nearly brushing against the ground.

The only difference is that his arm isn’t activated, a trick he had learned over the years. Walking through the ark, Allen uses a gate that drops him off near his destination, and he stops on the sidewalk and breathes, just trying to get used to the _noise_. Compared to the sedate urban sprawl and soothing Zen Gardens of Kyoto, Tokyo is bustling with people going about their day, the crowds so thick and the traffic so congested that Allen is surrounded on all sides, everything so loud that he can barely hear himself think. 

Craning his neck, he finally spots the familiar Iidaten logo across the street of a running silhouette with a round white backdrop. After walking across the crosswalk with several civilians staring at him curiously, Allen pushes open the door to the four story building and comes upon an open reception area. Putting a polite smile on his face, he makes his way towards the receptionists desk, the man behind it perking up and giving him a grin. “Hey, you’re that new hero that’s being assigned here, right? I’m gonna need some info so we know you’re you, alright?”

“Name?” Isamu, as his name card reads, asks.

“Himura Haruka.” Allen answers without stumbling.

“Date of birth?” 

This one makes Allen think for a moment. “December 25th, 2778.” 

Isamu grins at him while his hands fly across the keyboard. “Right after Christmas Eve, huh? You got any special someone who can shower you with gifts?” He teases, and Allen laughs.

“Not currently, I’m afraid.”

Producing an ID card, Isamu pins it to Allen’s hero uniform and sends him off with a wave and a cheery “Meri Kurisumasu!” Rolling his eyes at the silly receptionist, Allen waves at him and goes on his way. He’s just reaching the elevator and wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do now when a green blur comes out of nowhere and completely bowls him over, all of the breath forcefully escaping his lungs as he falls heavily onto the floor. Allen winces, closing his eyes as he feels several places on his body throb.

“Oh my gosh, are you alright? Here, let me help you up.” Allen opens his eyes just as a strong hand grabs hold of his and pulls him up onto his feet. He looks down slightly and immediately has to squint at the brightness being exuded from the person in front of him, glowing as bright as the sun in a way that is luckily quite familiar. Energy swirls around him in a tornado of light and color, greens and pinks and blues twisting and curling around him, bouncing around like excited puppies. He peers through the brightness to see a man about his (physical) age with emerald green eyes, freckles on his cheeks and curly green hair. His eyes are big and his cheeks are round with leftover youth in a way Allen can only describe as “cute.” At least in the way that baby owls are cute. 

He knows who he is, of course. Everyone who had any sense had kept tabs on the “cursed class” who always seemed to go through one disaster after another. All of them are currently Pros who have been working for about three years, a few of them, like Deku, famous enough to have made the headlines and go on talk shows.

Granted, he knew more about Midoriya than most. He had learned about All For One about fifty years ago, and had hence known Nana Shimura and eventually been trusted with the secret of One For All. But that’s old history, and he didn’t like dwelling on his ( ~~mistakes~~ ) past.

Anything else about Midoriya was a complete mystery, though. 

Part of him feeling gleefully superior that he’s finally taller than someone while the rest is just glad he’s finally found someone to show him around, he gives Midoriya a polite smile and says, “Midoriya, right? Thanks for helping me up, I’m afraid I can be a bit clumsy at times.”

“That’s fine…” Midoriya says, seeming distracted, his eyes fixed on Allen’s face. Then he blinks and a look of apology comes over his face. “Sorry, what I meant was that I bumped into you, not the other way around.” His face creases with concern. “Are you okay? I know I ran into you pretty hard.”

Allen smiles at him reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. My quirk has a healing aspect to it so it’s already been taken care of.”

Midoriya immediately brightens, his energy stirring in excitement. “Your quirk can heal? That’s so cool! Can you only heal yourself or can you heal other people too? How much can you heal people and what are the side effects?” Midoriya frowns thoughtfully and then starts to mutter. “I remember his quirk is called Energy Transfer and on the application form Himura-kun simply described it as ‘Energy’ which really upset Iida but I wonder if it has more potential than simply healing what else could it-?”

Allen huffs with a smile. Then he pokes Midoriya in the middle of the forehead, making him go cross eyed as he tries to look at Allen’s finger. It stalls him however, his mouth hanging open for a moment before snapping shut with a clack of his teeth. Midoriya looks like he might become embarrassed, so Allen tilts his head and asks, “do you mind showing me around, Midoriya-kun?”

Midoriya beams. “No, of course not. That’s what I came down here for in the first place actually…” He says, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Looking away as if embarrassed, he turns and presses the up button on the wall beside the elevator, the elevator door opening a minute or two later. They come out on the second floor to a hallway with a myriad of doors. Midoriya leads him to one labelled 3B and opens it, where there are two rooms inside. One is a bustling office space filled with cubicles and desks in various states of neatness or disarray, the warm colored walls giving it a more comfortable atmosphere than the loud space really deserves. Separated by a divider is a room with a coffee maker and various snacks on a laminate countertop, the hardwood floors covered in a flint gray carpet with couches and armchairs surrounding an oval coffee table that look like they would be quite comfortable to sleep on judging by the way Earphone Jack is currently passed out on the couch. 

Her eyes open as they walk in, and she turns to wave at them, still half asleep. “Hey Midoriya. Hey New Guy.” She yawns, then rolls over and smushes her face into the couch, conversation apparently over.

Allen lifts his eyebrow at Midoriya, and Midoriya chuckles. “She’s… not much of a morning person.”

Earphone Jack flips them off in reply.

“So this is Squad 3B. This is where you’ll be working alongside your fellow heroes.” Midoriya says, and Allen tries not to grimace at the word “heroes.” Midoriya smiles sheepishly. “I actually work here too, so I can tell you it’s not so bad. It’s actually been pretty great so far, everyone’s really nice. The villain attacks can get pretty overwhelming sometimes, especially if there’s multiple ones across the city. With All Might gone…” His tone turns somber, and an expression that Allen can’t read flickers across his face. 

But it makes Allen think of mountains that can’t be climbed, of pedestals so tall that you can’t even see who’s standing on top of them anymore.

Whatever he was thinking, he was right. Ever since All Might’s retirement, crime rates had risen at an alarming rate, and the heroes were having trouble keeping the peace with the upsurge of “villain” activity all across Japan. It was why Allen had decided to use his ‘quirk’ to become a hero rather than keep using it as a doctor. Everyone had been unhappy to see him go, but had respected his choices in the end. With the way his ‘quirk’ worked he could only work there part time anyway. 

Some of the spark returns to Midoriya’s eyes, and he shakes his head as he smiles and continues, “The third floor is where Intel is. Make sure to go there if there are any case files you need or questions you have. The fourth floor is our PR department, they’re some really nice people, but you probably won’t need to talk to them for a while yet. On the basement level are the paramedics. They usually hang around the trucks so they can respond quickly to any emergencies.”

Allen nods with a smile. “Thank you.” He tilts his head. “So where will I be working…?”

“Oh! Right this way.”

* * *

Iida had given Shouto a day off today due to injuries he’d taken in the field. The injuries themselves had been relatively minor, but Iida had a tendency to fuss and worry so Shouto had reluctantly done as he bid. 

Miska gives a puppy-like bark as she pounces on her toy, a rubber bone that was supposed to be near indestructible. Since the Husky/Boxer mix had destroyed and valiantly attempted to eat all of the toys Shouto had bought for her so far, he was hesitantly optimistic. The puppy picks up her toy and brings it back to Shouto, for which he rewards her with a head pat and a small training treat. The puppy wags her tail happily and jumps into Shouto’s lap, sniffing his hands curiously in search of more treats, making Shouto chuckle and ruffle her ears, before curling up to settle on his warm side and closing her eyes. Shouto gives a slight smile, a smile that only Izuku or Miska can cause, and strokes her fur gently, making Miska flop over onto her side with a cute little sigh.

They stay like that for awhile, at least until the doorbell rings. Miska is up like a shot, leaping off of Shouto’s lap, making him wince at the scrape of claws on his thighs. Miska barks her shrill little puppy barks, her tail wagging excitedly despite the supposed hostility. Shouto brushes off as much dog hair off of his clothing as he can in the space of a few seconds, opening the door and ready to tease Izuku for forgetting his keys again.

The burned and stapled face of the villain Dabi greets his eyes, his cold blue eyes boring into him, terrifying blue flames devouring everything around him–

Shouto blinks. Somehow in the last few seconds Miska has gotten past him and is currently showering their unwanted visitor with affection, tail wagging with her front paws up on his thighs as she tries desperately to lick his face. The reformed villain looks lost, like he’s not sure what to do with the attention, though luckily he’s blocking her from running off into the night. There’s two grocery bags held carefully over one of his arms, as if they were precious items that he were afraid of damaging. 

Shouto’s concerned for Miska, but he also doesn’t want to set off the recently reformed villain in his entryway. “Hello,” Shouto says cautiously.

The reformed villain looks up to meet his eyes. “Hey.” He says, with a wave and a neutral look. Miska whines, bright blue eyes focusing on one of the bags as she gives it a thorough sniff, nudging it with her nose, and the reformed villain huffs. “Fer crying out loud,” reaching into his pocket he brings out a small piece of taiyaki, letting the puppy eat the small fish-like pastry off of his hand with a hesitant smile on his face.

The small act of kindness surprises and warms Shouto, enough that he says, “would you like to come inside?”

“No,” the former villain says, a flat denial, and then shuffles his feet for a moment, looking down at Miska as he mutters, “My therapist said that I should apologize for trying to burn you to a crisp and shit, so just, here.” 

He shoves one of the bags at Shouto, and Shouto peers into it cautiously to see that inside was a small bouquet of blue hyacinths. 

Shouto lifts an eyebrow. “Flowers?”

Dabi gives a ( ~~hauntingly familiar)~~ self-deprecating smile. “Well I couldn’t remember whether you liked daifuku, coffee jelly, or mochi ice cream, so…” He shoves the second bag at Shouto who takes it with fumbling hands, his whole body feeling cold and numb as he watches the ghost with dark red hair and ice blue eyes, form flickering between two different pasts, two different lives, turn and walk out of his life.

Shouto blinks, his face completely blank despite the fire roiling inside him and the ice seeping through his veins.

“...Touya?”


	2. the warm understandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen has to visit the hospital due to an incident at Eri's school, Shouto tags along and everyone boards the Angst Train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am. So! Excited! about this one y'all!
> 
> It was really fun to write, so I hope y'all have fun reading it. ^_^
> 
> unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own.
> 
> TW for PTSD/flashbacks, mention of child abuse, misgendering and Transphobia/discrimination.
> 
> Alrighty, now on with the story! ^^

Back when Allen had still been Allen, his first friend group was like a well-oiled machine, each component part complementing each other, each with their own role in the group. Lavi had been the Head, the smart one that was always coming up with solutions and new ideas. Kanda had been the Protector, keeping watch over all of them with a careful eye and glaring at any threat all the while pretending he wasn’t doing it. Lenalee had been the Heart, the one that kept their spirits up and always cared, even when she was angry at them. Allen had been the Mold keeping them all together, the steadying hand that steadied both their hearts and minds, keeping their fear at bay while hiding his own behind kind words and encouraging smiles.

He had never quite made another group of friends that had clicked as well as they had, nor met any either.

Not until Iidaten. 

It was only his second day and he could already sense the camaraderie in the air, see the familiar way Jirou and Ashido bickered over the coffee machine. He could already slot some of them into roles. Midoriya, in the cubicle next to him, is the Thinker, a cross between the Mold and the Head. Jirou is the Beat, a piece that fits and doesn’t fit into the unit as she chooses, beating to her own rhythm in the background.

Allen’s currently setting up his desk with some things from home. Balancing the box on his knees he puts the picture frame of him and his little sister in the corner of his desk, pinning a dango keychain to his corkboard with a red pin. Looking at the paltry decorations he sighs, scrubbing his hands over his face.

_*Safe Box fun Box not know human smells friend friend friend?*_

Allen looks down at the box in his lap, finding it empty except for a certain golden tabby kitten.

“Ti- _Akari_ !” Allen hisses, glancing around. The kitten looks up quickly from her brave explorations of the box, her dark amber eyes wide before she adopts her usual guileless look when caught out that means _Who? Me?_ Allen swears she learned it from Eri.

 _*It was the Box’s idea.*_ Akari tells him innocently. Her ear flicks with irritation. * _Stupid Box. You’re no fun anymore.*_

“Don’t blame your misdeeds on inanimate objects, you little shit,” Allen says fondly, reaching down to scratch her behind the ears, careful to avoid the horns. When Eri had asked for a pet four years ago Allen had waffled at the idea. He’d never want to replace Timcanpy like that. But after a couple of years of tense silence on the subject Allen realized that just like no one could replace Mana, no one could replace Timcanpy. Allen spent years creating Akari out of Timcanpy’s remains with his ‘quirk’ (or rather, Sorcery) in order to make the best pet possible for Eri. 

He’d seen the fear in her eyes when she asked for a pet, the stubborn hope still remaining, glaring at him across the table at breakfast and dinner, urging him to go faster, to work harder. He remembers the first few times after she woke up from a nightmare, terrified and sobbing yet too scared of hurting him to let him into her room. The certain distance she keep between them on bad days. Allen took that all into account and made Akari even more indestructible than Timcanpy had been, removing the failsafe from within her core. 

He hadn’t been able to make her golem shaped, obviously. That would be too inconspicuous. He had still wanted her to be able to fly and shrink and grow however, so the results had been mixed. Akari was a kitten with golden tabby fur and dark amber eyes, with a snout that was slightly longer than it should be and mid-sized backwards facing horns on her head. Her neck was a bit longer than a cat’s should be and slightly sinuous, with a long prehensile tail and tiny light golden wings that were more downy fluff and flesh folded and pinned against her sides than anything else.

The creation process had been simple, if a little unethical. He had acquired a dead kitten from a local animal shelter who had been put down for an unfortunate quirk mutation, her body still relatively fresh, and had used his magic to make sure the body stayed preserved. Combining it with Timcanpy’s remains with all the power of his sorcery, he was able to make a creature that was both living and dead. Akari breathed. She had a heartbeat. She felt like flesh and bone just like any other cat, yet if she were ever to be destroyed she would break up into shards of clay and then quickly reform as if nothing had ever happened.

He had given her to Eri on New Year’s to celebrate her birthday, and Eri had been delighted. Even if she did keep insisting they celebrate their birthdays on the actual dates, for some reason.*

Allen looks up at the sound of footsteps. He sees a woman with brown eyes and brown hair in a bob cut with a bright smile on her face walking towards him, and he rolls his chair so it’s facing her. She beams at him and holds out a box that smells of delightfully sweet soy sauce as she says, “Hi, I’m Uraraka Ochako, or Uravity in the field. I just wanted to stop by and give you something to welcome you to the team. I hope you like it, I made it myself!”

Allen takes the box and takes off the lid, the smell of sweet soy sauce hitting his nose as he looks down at the mitarashi dango lined up in neat rows inside the box, the soy sauce having gotten absolutely everywhere as it dried. Allen blinks as he’s assaulted with several different emotions at once, quickly pushing them back and away as the face of a girl with braided pigtails swims before his vision. For a moment the person standing there isn’t Uraraka at all, but rather Lenalee, and she looks at him with worry, concern in her eyes.

Ah. The Heart.

Allen blinks the image away to find Uraraka looking at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

Allen nods with a smile, suddenly realizing that he’s crying. “I’m fine. I just tend to get a little over emotional at times.” Sniffling and wiping at his eyes, he restrains himself from startling as Akari nudges the edge of his shirt up with her nose and stealthily climbs up into his shirt, curling up and settling in the middle of his abdomen with a soft sigh. Hopefully, if anyone noticed the bulge, they’d just assume he was hiding food under his shirt like everyone else always had.

Uraraka blinks, and then nods with a smile, not questioning this. “Deku is like that sometimes.” Reaching into her pocket she pulls out a handkerchief that was actually labelled “Deku: For Emergency Situations Only.”

Allen smiles, accepting it and wiping his eyes, blowing his nose on it and hoping that she doesn’t mind just like Lenalee hadn’t. “Well at least I’m in good company.” He says, shoving the handkerchief into his pocket. He can give it back to ~~(~~ ~~Lenalee~~ ~~)~~ Uraraka later, after he’s gotten it freshly washed.

Allen hears a cut off choking sound from the cubicle next to him. Rolling his chair back he sees Midoriya with his hands covering his mouth, coffee dripping from his chin, his face flushed red. Allen raises an eyebrow and is about to say something when his phone rings. Looking at the number he sees it’s from Eri’s school. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”

Getting to his feet, he walks into the lounge room and answers the call.

“Hello?”

“Hello Himura-san, this is Ishiyama-san, Eri’s homeroom teacher?”

Allen frowns, an instant feeling of dislike coming over him. “Yes, I remember you.” He says as politely as he can manage.

“Ah, that’ll make things easier then. Your little brother has gotten into a bit of rough housing with one of the other students, and it got a little out of hand I’m sorry to say.”

“Sister. She’s my little sister.” Allen doesn’t press about the “rough housing” like he really, really wants to. Eri was studying to be a doctor, just like he had. He didn’t want to jeopardize her chances. 

“Whatever he may prefer to wear-” the woman starts, clear distaste in her voice.

“Where is she?” Allen demands.

“Tokyo General Hospital.” 

Allen hangs up, a scowl on his face. Taking a deep breath, he calms himself, supporting the weight of Akari inside his shirt. The kitten wriggles, finding a more comfortable spot and poking the tip of her nose out of the collar of his shirt, blinking up at him with dark amber eyes.

Going back to where he came, he walks up behind Midoriya, the man turning to look at him, and asks, “is it alright if I leave for the rest of the day? A family emergency has come up.”

Midoriya’s eyes glow with concern. He nods with a small smile. “Of course! I hope everyone’s alright.”

Allen scowls, still a bit ( ~~very~~ ) angry about the whole thing. “My little sister got put into the hospital for ‘rough housing.’”

Midoriya winces, looking sympathetic. “I hope she’s alright.”

In the cubicle across from Midoriya, Todoroki Shouto looks up from his work. “Which hospital is it? Is it the one nearby?”

Allen nods with a smile. “Yes. You could come along if you like. I’m sure Rei would appreciate the visit.”

Todoroki frowns at him, his stare as cold as ice. “And just how do you know my mother?” He asks icily. 

“I used to work at the hospital before I decided to become a hero. I met your mother when I was interning as a nurse, and we became friends.” Allen smiles fondly at the memories. Some were painful, but some had been healing, in a way.

Midoriya snaps his fingers, an expression of realization on his face. “That’s why you looked so familiar! You’ve healed me a couple times at the hospital before, but whenever I tried to go back and ask you about your quirk you were never there.”

Allen smiles mischievously. “Maybe I was just avoiding you. You are a notoriously bad patient, after all.” He says, making Todoroki snort and hide a smile behind his hand. 

His eyes were significantly warmer when they looked at Allen than they were before, though there was still an odd cautiousness in his eyes.

Midoriya opens his mouth to protest before shutting it and grumbling with a half hearted glare, “I hate both of you.” 

Allen chuckles, smiling at them both. “Well come on then, Todoroki-kun. I was thinking of buying some things for some patients I know, so if we make it quick we can catch the metro heading down towards the commercial district.” 

Todoroki looks a bit befuddled for a moment before he looks to Midoriya who gives him a smile and a thumbs up. He finally says, “alright.”

* * *

Shouto isn’t sure what to make of Himura Haruka. So far, the results have been mixed. On one hand, he’s a (supposed) friend of his mother, and has healed his boyfriend several times. On another, he’s a friend of his mother’s who she’s never mentioned, and so might be imaginary on Himura’s part. 

There’s also the fact that all they know about his quirk is that it can heal, and while normally that would be the end of it, judging by Izuku’s theorizing (which Shouto has learned to always take into account when it comes to quirks) there’s probably more to it than that.

The two of them move from shop to shop, Himura buying various things that Shouto thinks would be entertaining for patients of all ages to have, from numerous different news magazines, fidget spinners of multiple colors, newspapers and books that arrayed from children’s books to action/adventure stories for teens and sappy romance novels and riveting page turners for adults. By the time he was done with that his arms were full of shopping bags and he was still looking longingly at a sweets shop, so Shouto decided to take pity on him and took half of the load. 

Himura buys a box of dorayaki and somehow manages to slip a keychain that was near the checkout counter into their purchases, looking pleased with himself. 

They enter Tokyo General Hospital laden with goods. First they stop by the terminal care ward where Himura leads him into a room filled with children in various states of sickliness, some of them bald or near to it or with breathing tubes attached to an air tank up their nose. The children turn when they enter, and their faces immediately light up. 

“Wha’d you bring us Haruchan?”

“Did you bring any snacks?”

“Do you wanna play heroes an’ villains?” 

Himura drops the bag with the fidget spinners in it, and the children swarm the offering and are immediately entranced. While they’re distracted Himura goes to them one by one, running his hands up and down their forms with fire that burned with all of the colors of the rainbow softly glowing from his palms. 

“Should you really be doing that?” Shouto questions, concerned for the kids’ health.

Himura looks back at him. “Later,” he says, but thankfully stops healing the kids and draining the energy they can’t afford to lose. Much to Shouto’s confusion, however, after being healed the children seem to have even more energy than before, running around and playing with the few toys around the space. Shouto and Himura get roped into playing a game of “heroes and villains” much to Shouto’s amusement.

He can’t help the pang in his heart and the lump in his throat, as he remembers all the missed opportunities of his own childhood.

But, he muses, Himura makes a surprisingly good villain.

They make the rest of their rounds, Himura treating each patient like an old friend as he heals each of them with his quirk, Shouto watching as the color returns to their cheeks and the brightness returns to their eyes. They both take a break sitting out in the waiting room, Shouto trying to catch his breath from the emotional maelstrom that had been his time at the hospital so far.

Shouto excuses himself to go see his mother, Himura stopping him (“Here, give her this.”) to give him a book and the keychain he had bought earlier. As much as he’s curious about what the keychain is, it was put in a paper package when Himura bought it, so he’ll just have to see when his mother opens it.

Knocking on the door to her room, he hears a quiet, “Come in.” As soon as he enters the room his mother’s face immediately brightens, and she gives him a small smile as she urges him to sit down. Her eyes fix on the items in his hands and she raises an eyebrow, saying teasingly, “is there a third boyfriend I should know about?”

Shouto frowns. “No. Why?”

His mother smiles. “Haruka is the only one who brings me books. You always bring me yarn to practice my knitting, remember?” 

Shouto’s face clears. “Right. He’s actually one of my coworkers, though he just started yesterday. He told me to give you these.”

His mother takes the book and keychain from his hands, smiling at the book’s title before opening the paper package and taking out the keychain inside. Shouto’s mind blanks for a second as white noise fills his ears, staring at the small novelty teakettle hanging innocently from the end of its chain. Rage as hot as the fire within him seeps into his veins, but then

his mother laughs.

She smiles down at the novelty keychain, shaking her head at it. “That boy,” she says fondly, amusement in her eyes.

“Why would he ever give you something like that?” Shouto asks, angry yet baffled by his mother’s reaction.

His mother looks up and smiles at him, bashful. “Haruka and I have a unique relationship. It’s not really my place to say anything more.” She interjects when Shouto opens his mouth to ask. She smiles. “So how is Izukun?” 

They talk for a while on all sorts of topics, his mother fiddling with her new keychain the whole time they speak. Just when it’s about time to leave Todoroki can’t help but ask, “So just what is your relationship with Himura?”

His mother hesitates, and then sighs. “Haruka had a father that was… similar to me.” Her eyes stray to the left side of his face and Shouto tenses. He doesn’t have to guess what she means by that. A sudden image of the angled scar carved into Himura’s face flashes in his mind, and Shouto blanches. His mother nods. She smiles, but her eyes are shining with tears as she says. “That’s how I knew. That you would forgive me when you were ready. He told me that you would, because he had done the same.”

Shouto’s not sure how to feel about that, but he leans over and gives her one final hug before he goes.

On the train ride home Eri has fallen asleep against Himura’s shoulder, her off-white hair and red-pink eyes the exact shade as her brother’s. Shouto knew who Eri was, of course, with how much Izuku had talked about her, worrying about where she went and if she was living with a good family. He hadn’t made any fuss about it, however. He could tell Izuku about it later when he got home and hopefully alleviate his worries.

“Mom liked the gifts,” Shouto tells Himura in a soft undertone.

Himura smiles with a little relief. “That’s good, I was hoping she would. She usually gets my sense of humor but on bad days, well…” The man shrugs, careful of the sixteen year old girl with her head resting against his shoulder. The kitten with the lizard-like mutation quirk that Himura had somehow snuck in shifts on Eri’s lap and then yawns and gets up with a stretch. Her whiskers twitch as she examines Shouto, and then she ambles over Himura’s lap and over onto Shouto’s curling up onto his left side.

Himura huffs, though he’s smiling. “I see how it is.”

Shouto smiles just a little, stroking a hand down the golden tabby’s flank, causing her to stretch, a growling purr rumbling in her throat. “So what’s her name?” Shouto asks, nodding towards the kitten lying comfortably on his left thigh.

Himura smiles. “Akari.”

Light.

Shouto gives an approving nod, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly. “That’s a good name. And her quirk…?” He gives Himura a questioning look. He doesn’t want to judge Himura for keeping a quirked animal as a pet, but considering that there were literally no laws protecting them and that an animal with a quirk had been his principal, he thought he had a right to judge.

Himura sighs, reaching over to scratch Akari behind the ears. “We found her at a local animal shelter. Her quirk had come in at birth, and while all of the kids thought it was cool, no parent wanted any pet that could break through the bars of her cage _as a kitten_ anywhere near their children.” 

Shouto winces. He had to admit that that would be a deterrent for him too, if only because of Miska.

“When we got there, they told us they were about to put her down. She was only a _kitten_ , Shouto.” Himura says, his voice cracking. He looks up, blinking tears out of his eyes. 

“And you were only a kid.” Shouto finds himself saying, and Himura looks at him with a sad smile, that scar that’s rent across his face as sharp as a knife as he looks at him with piercing reddish pink eyes that seem to say, _so were you._ Shouto’s mouth twists into a bitter smile and for a span of a second that seems to last for eternity they meet each other’s eyes, an understanding and agreement that can be said without words passing between them. 

Shouto hovers his hand over Himura’s for a second before setting it beside it on Akari’s flank, close but not quite touching. “...If you’d like, you can call me Shouto.” He offers hesitantly, meeting Himura’s eyes.

Himura beams. “Then you may call me Haruka.” He says, and Shouto relaxes.

Haruka yawns, covering his mouth with his hand. He looks over at Shouto and says, “So enough about my life. What about you and Midoriya? Do you two have any pets?”

Shouto smiles a little. “Well we have this puppy named Miska…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Way back when in Japan people had a joint celebration of every single person's birthday in Japan on New Years, celebrating everyone becoming one year older rather than paying attention to their date of birth. Things are a lot more Westernized now and so in present day people in Japan celebrate people's birthdays on their date of birth (and though things are still a bit different, I won't go into it), but Allen is still caught up in past traditions and so is like '???' whenever Eri tries to get him to celebrate things right. 
> 
> He doesn't even celebrate Christmas. (Which yes, the Japanese do celebrate, another effect of Westernization). Poor Eri.
> 
> And yes, I know Allen isn't a native of Japan, but he adopted Japanese culture and nationality just like the rest of the people who immigrated there, so for as long as he's been living there, (a pretty long time) he's been steeped in Japanese culture and so really thinks of himself more as Japanese than British now.
> 
> Also, about Geishas: I know that a lot of people have heard that Geishas are Japanese sex workers. This is untrue. (Look it up if you don't believe me or read this brief explanation). Geishas are woman who are hired to entertain businessmen by singing, dancing, playing instruments, or keeping up the flow of the conversation. Sex is never involved unless they decide to _stop being_ a Geisha in order to get married. They do flirt, but that's about it.
> 
> I'm only saying this bc I'm planning on involving Geisha's a bit with the fic. I'll probably mess with the concept a bit to mix it more fluidly into the AU, but no sex working will be involved. There might be some male Geishas, tho. There were actually originally only male Geishas in Japan until females became popular, so I think I might mess with that concept a bit.
> 
> Did y'all like the Todoroki & Allen bonding?? Bc I _loved_ it!!!! I have so many feeeels about how similar Allen's and Shouto's backstories are, you don't even know. (Also, I know that the story Allen was telling Shouto wasn't quite true, but I headcanon that Allen can get caught up in the lies he weaves, (like any normal person would) especially if they end up hitting a sore spot, like the one with Akari did).
> 
> An Allen/Shouto Queerplatonic ship might sneak it's way in there somewhere, I'm not sure yet. I'll just have to see where the fic takes me.
> 
> Next Chapter: Shinsou!

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like the ending? Eh??
> 
> I already have plans for the second chapter, (it was actually supposed to be in this chapter before I decided to end it here), so please tell me what you think! ^_^
> 
> Also, blue hyacinths in flower language when given to someone mean an apology to someone you care about, usually after a fight. (Which is way too fitting, if you think about it.) XD
> 
> Also, coffee jelly is Fuyumi's fav dessert, mochi ice cream is Shouto's, and daifuku is their fourth sibling's who I can't remember the name of rn. Sorry, mysterious fourth sibling. *pat pat*
> 
> And that's just a headcanon btw. I've got no idea if the mangaka for BNHA gave their characters fav desserts, but the DGM mangaka did so I decided to go for it.


End file.
